Consider this. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3000 breweries in America today. Now, if each of those on average has 20 different beers (not a stretch), that means there are 60,000 different beers out there just waiting for you to try. Daunting when you think about it, but also imagine the effort that has to go onto naming all of those different brews. Inevitably, some names get used more than once, but it always amazes me how many new and creative names brewers come up.

Take Magic Hat Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale, for example. Have you ever heard of the Wilhelm Scream? Likely you’ve heard the actual scream itself, if not the name it goes by. The Wilhelm Scream is a stock audio clip that has been used since 1951 and appears in hundreds of films. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll have heard it in the scene when Luke and Leia are about to swing across the Death Star chasm. An unlucky stormtrooper is hit by a blaster bolt, and just before he falls into the chasm you’ll here…the Wilhelm Scream. Don’t believe me? Then click the audio link below if your browser supports it.

From the label:

The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavorful beer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious mélange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry, humble patience, and blind faith to create this unique beer to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits. Cheers!

Extra points to you if you got the references to other Magic Hat beers in that paragraph. Ingredients from the website:

Malts: Pale, Victory, Caramel 80L, Caramel 120L

Hops: Apollo, Nugget

Magic Hat Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale has an alcohol content of 5.4% by volume with 20 IBUs. It runs $8.99 a six-pack here in the Atlanta metro area. My bottle lists brewing activity at the Magic Hat brewery in South Burlington, Vermont and Rochester, New York.

Magic Hat Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale pours to a rich bright copper color with a moderate head of tightly packed bubbles and a rich spicy nose full of nutmeg and cinnamon. Taking a sip, there’s a light chewy caramel malt presence up front followed by a bit of meaty pumpkin and then the spices. Certainly cinnamon in a sort of light hot ball candy kind of way, and then a lot more nutmeg, especially in the finish where it really dries this one out. A bit of hop bitterness struggles to compete with the nutmeg, but it is there in its grassy bitterness. As it warms, a subtle buttery note arises, and suggestions of a Christmas mince pie.

Yes, folks, it seems there are lots of pumpkin ales out there these days among all those I mentioned earlier, but I really enjoyed this one and will certainly buy it again. Extra points for the unique name as well. And remember this fall. I scream, you scream, and Wilhelm screams…for pumpkin ale.

Update 11/8/2015: Tonight I'm enjoying a foaming draft mug of Wilhelm Scream at Taco Mac here in Canton. Malty, spicy, like a holiday pie in a glass. I like it as well as I did over a year ago and you certainly can't argue with the price of $5 for a full mug.

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